Existing infant receiving systems, e.g., swings, cribs, bouncers, high chairs, entertainers, playpens, bassinets, etc., come with a variety of accessories and features intended to entertain a child and keep their attention. Another goal of infant receiving systems is to soothe and pacify a child with motion, sounds, or lights. The various controls for the infant receiving system and/or accessories, including music, sound effects, visual effects, mobiles, speed, vibration, etc., are generally controlled locally (at the device) or with a purpose-built, dedicated, remote control device.
Some infant receiving systems have programmed sensors to respond to a child's crying or other remotely sensed input, and start one of the functions of the system to calm and soothe the child. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,916,249 and 6,561,915, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, both describe infant swings that start the swinging motion in response to detecting a child's cry. However, these responses are preprogrammed and inherently local interactions.
As the number and variety of infant receiving devices and accessories grow, parents have a need for more comprehensive control over these devices. Two-way communication between the infant receiving device and the parents' existing portable electronic devices offers a versatile and expandable way of remotely controlling the infant receiving devices and accessories.